A grand assembly convened by Afghanistan's president has concluded in Kabul with general agreement on a government plan for a continued -- but not permanent -- US military presence in Afghanistan as well as a strategy for peace.

Afghans are putting their anger over Pakistani policies regarding their country on full display.

Protests have been staged by Afghan youths objecting to statements made by Pakistani public figures. And Afghanistan's media and civil society have moved to the forefront to resist perceived efforts by their eastern neighbor to fill the vacuum as the West looks to exit their country.

After a decade of involvement in Afghanistan, it appears the United States hasn't learned a critical lesson. Warlordism has been a key component in driving the country's vicious cycle of violence. Yet as the drawdown of US and NATO troops proceeds, American policymakers find themselves reliant on warlord-led militias to fill security gaps.

The Pentagon is going local in Central Asia, seeking to increase the role of regional long-haul trucking firms and food producers in supplying US troops in Afghanistan. Local economies stand to benefit from new business opportunities, officials in Washington say.

As far as cautionary tales go, this one is worth noting: Afghans celebrate all their modern-age anniversaries of liberation, except one. The day of victory over the British in 1919 is commemorated in August. The fall of Najibullah’s Kremlin-backed regime in April 1992 is marked as well. The exception is the 2001 ouster of the Taliban from Kabul by the US-led coalition.